Commelina erecta

plant

Written by

The Information Architects of Encyclopaedia Britannica

Last updated

June 24, 2026

Quick Summary

Commelina erecta is a species of herbaceous plant belonging to the genus Commelina, commonly known as dayflowers. This genus is part of the larger order Commelinales, which includes about 100 species distributed widely.12

Dayflowers are characterized by their weak stems and are often cultivated as ground covers due to their sprawling growth habit and small blue flowers. These plants can spread easily through cuttings, seeds, and the rooting of their prostrate stems. As their common name suggests, the flowers of Commelina erecta are short-lived and fade quickly.1

Summary created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.

2 Britannica Sources

Ask Britannica AI about this topic

Britannica doesn't have a full article on this topic, so we've curated a list of our relevant coverage.

dayflower
diffusa, and C. erecta are often grown as ground covers because of their sprawling habit and their small blue flowers. Especially in moist shady places, they spread easily by cuttings and seed and by rooting of their prostrate stems. As the common name implies, the flowers fade…
Read More
diffusa, and C. erecta are often grown as ground covers because of their sprawling habit and their small blue flowers. Especially in moist shady places, they spread easily by cuttings and seed and by rooting of their prostrate stems. As the common name implies, the flowers fade…
Read More